Clamp-feeding device.



No. 790,494. I PATENTED MAY 23, 1905.

II. FOSS. CLAMP FEEDING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 5, 1904. RENEWED JAN. 5, 1906.

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PATENTED MAY 23,1905

J. J. FOSS. CLAMP FEEDING DEVICE. APPBIOATION PIL ED MAR. 5, 1904. RENEWED JAN. 5, 1906.

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UNITED STATES Patented May 23, 1905.

PATENT ()FFICE.

JOHN J. FOSS, OF SANDUSKY, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE BOLEY WIRE FENCE COMPANY, OF SANDUSKY, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

CLAMP-FEEDING DEVICE;

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 790,494, dated May 23, 1905 Application filed March 5, 1904. Renewed January 5, 1905. Serial No. 239,733.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN J. Foss, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Sandusky, county of Erie, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Clamp-Feeding Devices, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

My invention relates to means for feeding clamps to wire-fence-weaving machines, its object being to effect such feeding in a po sitive and economical manner.

Said invention consists of means hereinafter fully described, and particularly set forth in the claims.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanism embodying theinvention, such disclosed means constituting but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a structure embodying my invention, showing the upper portion of the clamp-guide and standard broken away, the construction being particularly adapted for use in connection with my invention in weaving-machines shown and described in Letters Patent of the United States, No.-

750,839, issued February 2, 1904. Fig. 2 represents a view similar to that of Fig. 1, showing the parts in a second position. Fig. 3 represents a horizontal sectional plan view taken upon the planes indicated by line 3 3, Fig. 4, showing a part of the lower end of the guide broken away. Fig. 4 represents an end view looking in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 represents a perspective view of one of theclamps used in my improved device.

A downwardly-inclined guide or runway A, consisting of an overhanging side plate a, a separator-strip a, and a second sideplatea forms a lateral slot a in which the clamps B are adapted to slide with their major portions upon the outside, as shown. The clamps are fed into this groove automatically by means of a hopper (not shown) which forms the subjectmatter of a separate application for United States Letters Patent, Serial No. 196,711, filed by me March 5, 1904. The plate a forms the base of the guide and presents the guiding edge for conducting the clamps toward the bottom of the guide, the overhanging plate a forming a guard for preventing the clamps from becoming dislodged from plate a in an upward direction. The lower ends of plates at and a are secured to a block O, which in turn is supported by an upright angle-bar D, which is secured at its upper end to any suitable support. (Not shown.) The transverse member (Z of anglebar D is placed a distance from the lower end of the guide slightly greater than the length of a clamp, so as to form a space through which said clamp may upon leaving the end of the guide fall downwardly, the block O being cut away at 0 to permit of such passage of the clamp. The said block is formed with a groove 0 immediately beneath the guide in which slides a reciprocable feeding-bar E, whose path of travel carries its left-hand end transversely of and below the space 0, as shown in Fig. 2, in which figure the said bar is shown in its forward or advanced position.

In this position the upper surface of the bar is a distance below theend of slot 0 such that a clamp resting in space 0 and upon the feeding-bar, with the lower end of its inner loop 6 and its remaining portion overhanging the front side of the bar, as illustrated in said Fig. 2, will cause the left-hand end of the clamp while in such position to abut the lower end of the member (Z of the angle-bar. The lower end of member cl thus operates as a stop for the clamp in its sliding movement down the slot (0 between which stop and the end'of' the slot (0 it is allowed to fall vertically. A retaining-clip d, secured to such lower end, prevents the clamp in such position from becoming dislodged from such space, as-

will readily be seen from the drawings.

The front 6 of the feeding-bar is located relatively to the guide A,'so that it will fall nearly in the vertical plane of the plate a,

whereby the clamps will when pushed into space 0 rest upon bar E in the position described and shown. (See also Fig. 3.) The said bar is cut away upon said side 0, so as to form an undercut groove 0, which is of suflicient size to receive the line-wire F, utilized in the Weaving-machine, and which, as described in said above-named patent, is fed forward intermittently in the direction indicated by the arrow and parallel with the direction of reciprocation of bar E. In such position the wire is also located in the vertical plane of plate a The reciprocatory stroke of bar E is made such that its end will be entirely withdrawn from below the space 0, a clamp in such space being thus permitted when such withdrawal is completed to drop upon wire F, as shown in Fig. 1.

Mounted upon the inside of member (Z of upright support D is a plunger G. This plunger is formed with a vertical slot g, through which project two guiding-screws (Z (Z, threaded into said member a distance apart such that the plunger maybe caused to reciprocate vertically, so as to permit its lowerend to traverse a path transverse relatively to the guide and into and out of space a. Projecting from the back of said plunger is astud g, which :passes through a slot (Z formed in the rear member (Z of support D, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.. A hook g is secured to the plunger, passes through a slot (V in the member (Z, and has secured to it the upper end of a retracti-le spring G, whose lower end is secured to a hook (Z secured to the support D, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. This spring tends to cause the plunger to move downwardly and assume the position shown in Fig. 1.

Secured to or forming a part of the bar E is a forwardly-projecting arm E, whose forward end is formed with a cam-surface 0 which is upon the forward movement of said bar adapted to engage the stud g and raise plunger Ur against the action of spring G, as shown in Fig. 2. As illustrated, the end of the bar E is located in advance (referring to the direction of movement indicated by the arrow) of the cam-surface 0 Operation: Assuming that a column of clamps is residing in the slot (0 and that the position'of the parts is that illustrated in Fig. 1, it will beobserved that the lowermost clamp in the guide is resting against the lower end of the plunger G, which is occupying the space 0. In such position the column of clamps is tending to push such lowermost clamp from the end 'of the guide by gravitation. Now assuming that the feeding-bar E is moved forward arm E also moves forward and effects theengagement of cam-surface and stud 9, thereby causing the plunger G to move upwardly, withdraw its lower end from space 0, and remain in such position. Immediatelyupon such withdrawal the lowermost clamp is pushed out from the end of guide A into space 0 and against the opposing surface of support D, with the loop 71 resting upon the upper surface of bar E, the latter having meanwhile been pushed across the bottom of space 0, as shown in Fig. 2. The bar E being now returned, the said clamp slides upon the said upper surface until its end is withdrawn from below the space 0. Cam-surface a will, however, by reason of its previously-described position relatively to the forward end of said bar, have released stud g and the lower end of plunger G will have been caused to press upon the upper surface of the clamp in space 0. Immediately upon the withdrawal of the bar E, as aforesaid, plunger G will snap downwardly and cause said clamp to straddle the wire F, as shown in Fig. 1. To render such downward movement of the clamp not too abrupt, the end of the upper surfaceof the bar is provided with a downwardly-incl-ined groove c", Figs. 5 and 4, in which the clamp rides at the end portion of the return stroke of bar E. The subsequent forward movement of said bar effects the forward feeding of said clamp, and the above-described operation of the parts is repeated, bringing the next clamp into position ready for such forward feeding.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be-cmployed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed provided the means stated by anyone of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and dis tinctly claim as my invention H 1. In means for feeding clamps for fenceweavingmachines, the combination of aguide for conducting the clamps, a reciprocating feeding-bar having a path of movement adjacent to the end of said guide, and a reciprocating plunger actuated by said feeding-bar, having a path of movement transverse relatively to said guide and said feeding-bar, and arranged to cooperate with the latter to feed individual clamps from said guide to a fencewire.

2. In means for feeding clamps for fenceweaving machines, the combinationof a guide for conducting the clamps which are arranged to be fed downwardly by gravity, a stop adjacent to the "end of such guide and arranged to allow of the downward passage of a clamp between it and such guide end, a reciprocating plunger having a path-of movement in the space between said stop and guide end, and a reciprocating feeding-bar arranged to'operate transversely relatively to the direction'of reciprocation of said plunger and having a path of movementadjaeent to :theend of said guide, and to prevent, during a part of its reciprocation, downward movement of a clamp in said space, said plunger and bar cooperating to eject a'clamp from said space.

3. In means for feeding clamps for fenceweaving machines, the combination of a downwardly inclined guide for conducting the clamps, a stop adjacent to the lower end of said guide forming, in conjunction with the latter, a space for the reception of a clamp, a reciprocable plunger having a path of movement in said space, and a reciprocable bar having a path of movement adjacent to said space and transverse relatively to the direction of movement of said plunger, said bar arranged to actuate said plunger.

4. In means for feeding clamps for fenceweaving machines, the combination of a downwardlyinclined guide for conducting the clamps, a stop adjacent to the lower end of said guide forming, in conjunction with the latter, a space for the reception of a clamp, a reciprocable plunger having a path of move-- ment in said space, a retractile spring connected with such plunger and attending to actuate same to move into said space, and a reciprocable feeding-bar having a' path of movement adjacent to said space and transverse relatively to the direction of movement of said plunger, said bar arranged to withdraw the, latter from the said space against the action of said spring when moving in the direction of feeding and to release same coincidently with the opposite movement.

5.. In means for feeding clamps for fenceweaving machines, the combination of a downwardly inclined guide for conducting the clamps, a stop adjacent to the lower end of said guide forming, in conjunction with the latter, a space for the reception of a clamp, a vertically-reciprocable plunger having a path of movement in said space, a retractile spring connected with said plunger and tending to actuate same to move into said space, and a reciprocable feeding-bar having a path of movement belowsaid space and transverse relatively to the direction of movement of said plunger, said bar arranged so that during its forward or feeding movement it will actuate said plunger to withdraw from said space, and

upon its return release such plunger,whereby said spring may actuate same, the bars path of reciprocation being such as to cause it to withdraw entirely from below said space.

Signed by me this 1st day of March, 1904.

JOHN J. FOSS.

Attest:

G. W. SAYWELL, A. E. MERKEL. 

